THE REPTILES & AMPHIBIANS OF AUSTRALIA - TURTLES
AUSTRALIAN REPTILE PHOTOS AND INFORMATION
Covering
Australian Snakes
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,
Crocodiles
,
Turtles
, and
Amphibians
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AUSTRALIAN TURTLES,TORTOISES AND SLIDERS
ORDER:
Testudines
FRESHWATER TURTLES
Family:
Cheluidae
*
Indicates recent updates or new page
COMMON NAME
(Internal Links)
SCIENTIFIC NAME
(External Links)
DISTRIBUTION
Sandstone Long-Necked Turtle or Arnhem Land Long-Necked Turtle
Chelodina burrungandjii
NT (Arnhem Land)
Cann's Long-necked Turtle
Chelodina canni
(was C.
novaeguineae canni
and
C. rankini
)
(Subgenus:
Chelodina
)
NT, Qld
Broad-Shelled River Turtle
Chelodina
expansa
(Subgenus:
Chelydera
)
NSW, Qld, SA, Vic
*
Kuchling's Long-necked Turtle
Chelodina kuchlingi
(Subgenus:
Chelydera
)
WA
Darwin Snake-necked Turtle
Chelodina kurrichalpongo
NT
Eastern Snake-necked Turtle or Common Long-necked Tortoise
Chelodina longicollis
(Subgenus:
Chelodina
)
NSW, ACT, Qld, SA, Vic
(Tas - introduced)
*
Oblong Turtle or Narrow-breasted Snake-necked Turtle
*
Chelodina oblonga
(previously known as
C. colliei
for a while)
(Subgenus:
Macrochelodina
)
South-western WA
*
Northern Long-necked Turtle
*
Chelodina rugosa
rugosa (
previously called
C. oblonga
for a while)
(Subgenus:
Chelydera
)
NT, Qld, WA:- Northern Australia (from the Cape York to the Kimberley District of WA
Flat-shelled Turtle or Steindachner's Turtle
Chelodina steindachneri
(Subgenus:
Chelodina
)
WA
Kimberley Snake-necked Turtle
Chelodina walloyarrina
(Considered by some people to be a synonym of
Chelodina burrungandjii)
(
Subgenus:
Chelydera
)
NT, WA (distribution uncertain)
*
Southern Snapping Turtle or White-throated Snapping Turtle
Elseya albagula
Qld
Northern Snapping Turtle
Elseya dentata
NT, Qld, WA
Yellow Bellied Snapping Turtle
Elseya flaviventralis
NT
Irwin's Turtle
Elseya irwini (=stirlingi)
Qld
*
Gulf Snapping Turtle
Elseya lavarackorum
Gulf of Carpentaria NT, Qld
Mary River Turtle
Elusor macrurus
Qld
*
NorthernRed-faced Turtle
Emydura australis
NT, Qld
Cooper Creek Turtle
Emydura macquarii emmotti
SA, Qld (Lake Eyre Basin)
*
Hunter River Turtle
(Invalid subspecies)
Emydura
macquarii
gunabarra
(Invalid subspecies)
NSW (Hunter River)
*
Macquarie Turtle or Common Short-necked Turtle
Emydura macquarii macquarii
NSW, ACT, SA, Vic, Qld
*
Krefft's River Turtle
Emydura macquarii krefftii
(Central coastal Qld)
*
Brisbane Short-necked Turtle or Brisbane River Turtle
(INVALID SUBSPECIES)
Emydura macquarii signata
(INVALID SUBSPECIES)
Qld (SE Qld ), NE NSW?
*
Fraser Island Short-neck Turtle
Emydura
macquarii
nigra
Qld (Fraser Island)
*
Jardine River
Short-necked Turtle
Emydura subglobosa angkibaanya
Cape York Peninsula, Qld
*
Red-bellied Short-necked Turtle
Emydura subglobosa subglobosa
South Papua New Guinea
Worrell's Short-necked Turtle
(or Diamond Head Turtle)
Emydura subglobosa worrelli
NT, Qld
Northern Yellow-faced Turtle
Emydura tanybaraga
NT, Qld
Northern Red-faced Turtle and North-West Red-faced Turtle
Emydura victoriae
(includes turtles previously known as
Emydura australis
)
NT, WA
*
Namoi River Snapping Turtle or Bell's Turtle
Myuchelys (
was
Wollumbinia) bellii
NSW
*
Bellinger River Snapping Turtle or Georges' Turtle
Myuchelys (
was
Wollumbinia)
georgesi
NSW (Bellinger River)
*
Saw-Shelled Turtle
Myuchelys (
was
Wollumbinia)
latisternum (=dorsii)
NSW, NT, Qld
*
Manning River Helmeted Turtle
or Purvis' Turtle
Myuchelys (
was
Flaviemys) purvisi
(Manning River area) NSW
Western Swamp Turtle
Pseudemydura umbrina
WA
Fitzroy River Turtle
Rheodytes leukops
Qld
PIG NOSED TURTLES
Family:
Carettochelydidae
COMMON NAME
SSCIENTIFIC NAME
DISTRIBUTION
(Distribution key and map at bottom of page)
Pig Nosed, Pitted-Shelled Turtle or Fly River Turtle
Carettochelys insculpta
NT, (New Guinea)
SEA TURTLES (Marine)
Family: Cheloniidae
Note that although Sea Turtles may stray into or spend time in cooler water, the females must return to warmer climates to lay their eggs.
COMMON NAME
SCIENTIFIC NAME
DISTRIBUTION
(Distribution key and map at bottom of page)
Pacific Loggerhead Turtle
Caretta caretta
gigas
(All States)
Pacific Green Turtle
Chelonia mydas japonica
(All States)
Hawksbill Turtle
Eretmochelys imbricata bissa
(NSW, NT, Qld, Tas, Vic)
Pacific (or Olive) Ridley Turtle
Lepidochelys olivacea
(NT, Qld, NSW, WA, Vic, SA)
Flatback Turtle
Natator depressus
(was
Chelonia depressa
)
(NSW, NT, Qld, WA)
HYBRIDS
Note that these hybrids occur in the wild
Loggerhead Turtle
(Caretta caretta
)
×
Pacific Ridley Turtle
(Lepidochelys olivacea)
Loggerhead Turtle
(Caretta caretta
)
×
Kemp's Ridley Turtle (
Lepidochelys kempii
)
Loggerhead Turtle
(Caretta caretta
)
×
Hawksbill Turtle (
Eretmochelys imbricata
)
Loggerhead Turtle
(Caretta caretta
)
×
Green Turtles
(Chelonia mydas)
Hawksbill Turtle (
Eretmochelys imbricata
)
×
Green Turtles
(Chelonia mydas)
Hawksbill (
Eretmochelys imbricata
)
×
Pacific Ridley Turtle
(Lepidochelys olivacea)
LEATHERBACK SEA TURTLE (Marine)
Family:
Dermochelyidae
COMMON NAME
SCIENTIFIC NAME
DISTRIBUTION
(Distribution key and map at bottom of page)
Leathery or Luth Turtle
Dermochelys coriacea
(All States)
Sliders
(INTRODUCED)
Family:Emydidae
COMMON NAME
(Internal Links)
SCIENTIFIC NAME
(External Links)
DISTRIBUTION
(Distribution key and map at bottom of page)
Red-eared Slider -
INTRODUCED
Trachemys scripta elegans
ACT?, NSW, Qld (From USA, introduced into many countries)
Western Pond Turtle -
INTRODUCED
Actinemys (was Clemmys) marmorata
NSW (Sydney Area) (From USA)
Pond & River Turtles
(INTRODUCED)
Family:Geoemydidae
COMMON NAME
(Internal Links
SCIENTIFIC NAME
(External Links)
DISTRIBUTION
(Distribution key and map at bottom of page)
Chinese Stripe-necked Turtle -
INTRODUCED
- protected by the
CITES
and
IUCN
Mauremys sinensis
Toowoomba area Qld (native to South East Asia) - (this species may not be breeding in the wild in Australia)
DISTRIBUTION KEY
Click on the abbreviation below to see a map of the area
CI =
Christmas Island
CKI =
Cocos (Keeling) Island
NSW =
New South Wales
NT =
Northern Territory
Qld =
Queensland
SA =
South Australia
Tas =
Tasmania
Vic =
Victoria
WA =
Western Australia
NI =
Norfolk Island
LHI =
Lord Howe Island
ACT =
Australian Capital Territory
(Canberra region only - excludes Jervis Bay Territory)
LINKS OF INTEREST
Click here for more Information about Australian Turtles and Tortoises
TURTLES, TORTOISES AND CROCODILES
FROM AROUND THE WORLD
John Fowler
Red-eared Slider
-
INVASIVE SPECIES
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Turtles
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AUSTRALIAN TURTLE SPECIES LISTS BY STATE OR TERRITORY
Turtles of
South
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Turtles
of
NSW
Turtles
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Qld
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of
NT
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WA
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Tasmania
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Victoria
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Sea Turtles
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Freshwater
Turtles
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Tortoises
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AUSTRALIAN REPTILE SPECIES LISTS BY STATE OR TERRITORY
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NSW
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Qld
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of
NT
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WA
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of the
ACT
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MORE REPTILE SPECIES LISTS
Reptiles of Lord Howe Island
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Reptiles
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Reptiles of Norfolk Island
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Australia
Frogs
of
Australia
Reptiles
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The World
Amphibians of the
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,
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